For The Sanity Left in Me
by Dreamer Ex'd
Summary: I don't know what I did to deserve this, but I've never really done anything right. Reality is harsh and the world just kept spitting on me, till he came into the picture. It was a blessing in disguise of a curse. SnakeXOC slight AceXOC if you squint
1. Chapter 1

For the Sanity Left In Me:

The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the burning feeling trailing down my side. I cracked open an eye and examined my surroundings. A brick wall stared me in the face, along with a few old upturned trashcans. Memories of the previous few months came crashing down on me. Somehow, despite the amount of time I had been here on the streets I still maintained the mind state that I was still living at home. I sighed as I craned my neck to see what was on my other side. I squinted slightly as my unfocused eyes quickly took in the sight of a too busy street. Townsville wasn't such a town after all. It wasn't a fairytale or a particularly nice place to be. There were some areas that were awful. In fact it was a divided city that was full of crap. The Mayor advertised it to be a nice safe place protected by the Powerpuff Girls. They couldn't see or catch everything obviously. I sat up and ran a hand along my ribs. I flinched and hissed in pain. My eyes immediately flickered down to inspect the damage.

Yesterday had been one of my worst days yet. I had to steal to survive so I swiped some food off a shelf in a small store some time past eleven at night. I had been eating the evidence when a couple of guys from a gang tried to mug me. I was immediately punched in the gut and when I doubled over someone pushed me the rest of the way to the ground. What did I have to give? I had been stealing to eat, showering in public restrooms, and wearing the few clothes that I carried in a pack. It was dark and I couldn't see too well so they had gotten me off guard. It seemed that they couldn't see to well either because when we wrestled our way under a street lamp the guy pinning me down gaped at me as if I were the strange one. Well, maybe I was.

They said they were from the gangreen gang. The weirdest thing about them was that they were quite literally green. There were only two at the time but one kept shouting at the other. One was real tall and thin with black hair and shades while the other was huge and had a crop of orange hair on top his head. Apparently, that one wasn't all that bright because when the shades guy got off of me and told him to back off he still knocked me so hard I saw stars. He kicked me in the ribs. I slammed into a wall and had to fight the black spots that appeared in front of my eyes.

Shades screamed at the other guy to get lost leaned down to me, his glasses slipping down the bridge of his nose. His dark eyes stared at me in disbelief. My mind was swimming.

"You're a girl," he muttered surprise lacing his voice.

"No shit, dude," I managed to mutter lowly my head lolling to the side.

His eyebrows rose at my statement and then he grinned. He extended a hand to me, which I glared at. His smile widened. Creepy.

"Ohh, feisty little thing ain't ya? The name's Ace," he said confidently. I immediately got a feeling he was incredibly egotistical and childish with his pride.

I ignored him and tried to sit up but my side ached and my head throbbed. I suppressed the groan of pain that was caught in my throat. I took a sharp intake of breath instead. I managed to claw my way over to lean against the lamppost in my stupor of pain.

"You're supposed to introduce yourself, girlie." He said after a long pause. I kept on ignoring him, turning my back to him. Apparently, the child couldn't take it. Instead he got mad and stomped over to me.

"I'm talking to you, you y-you BRAT!" He leaned down and gripped my shirt, lifting me off the sidewalk. I whimpered in pain. He didn't seem to care as he continued to shake me and yell obscenities at me. He must have had some major anger issues.

I mumbled inaudibly and he stopped momentarily, narrowing his eyes, "What was that?"

I coughed and barely managed to croak. The angry fire returned to his eyes and he started shaking me again. My eyes rolled into the back of my skull. He stopped and dropped me to the ground. He stood over me and leered at me, sneering cruelly. I noticed the snaggle tooth that hung over his lip. Mean inside and out I thought before zoning out.

"Stupid brat."

…And he walked away.

It wasn't the last time I saw him, that's for sure. He was around when you least wanted him to be, like now for instance. He's using my special hiding place to keep dry in the rain. Not cool. Plus, he actually has the nerve to try and act all superior and whatnot. I was here first. He kept trying to make mindless conversation with me to pass the storm.

"What did you say your name was, again?"

"I didn't," I deadpanned.

"Well?"

"Well?"

"Please tell me," he gave me his "sweet talking face."

I sighed, "It's Jaime."

He smirked, "Jaime, Jaime, Jaime, I like it but it's too long for us."

"Wha-?" I started.

He scrunched his face in thought, "Jaime, let's see. Short for Jaime would be Jay, Jay like Blue Jay the bird. Ah ha! That's it from now on you'll be Birdy," he didn't ask. He stated.

"What's wrong with Jaime?"

"Nothin' it's just some of the guys will have issues you know, remembering that, it's too long. Birdy just works, kay?"

"You know you could do so much better then this, girlie," he rambled, "I mean with your face," he looked down and checked me out, "and your body you could get somewhere 'round here."

I grimaced in disgust and he just laughed, clapping a hand over my shoulder. I flinched in pain. He hit me in a sore spot from the fight before. I glared at him while I rubbed my sore shoulder. He rose an eyebrow at me before raising his hands in a mock surrender. A piece of his hair fell into his face and he blew it away, black inkiness and all. He puffed a breath and continued on his rant.

"I mean look around and smell the freakin' dying flowers."

He was getting to me now. I mean it's not like I don't know how shitty my life is right now… I have nothing I could do about it so he shouldn't torture me like this.

He looked around my alcove and openly showed his opinion, "I thought my life sucked," he grinned his signature snaggle tooth grin, "but your shit hole makes my dump look like the fucking Ritz Carlton." I gritted my teeth. He didn't know when to stop.

"Get lost Shades. I'm not in the mood for your crap." I whispered annoyed after another crude comment.

He only smirked, "Shades? Is that some type of cutesy nickname, Birdy?"

"Nah dude, it's a calling card. Who else wears sunglasses in December?" I drawled. He stayed quiet.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." I muttered.

"I like your spunk, Birdy," he grinned not missing a beat, "you'll fit right in." He added softly drumming his fingers on his chin.

"What?"

"Ain't nothin' you need to worry 'bout." He stood up patting me on the head and ran his fingers through my dark hair.

"I want you to be in my gang. I'll be sendin' someone to get ya soon. I gotta go, hun. See ya later." He pushed open the blanket door and left. He didn't even ask. Tch.


	2. Chapter 2

For the Sanity Left In Me

~Chapter Two~

Ace was a busy guy, but that didn't mean he didn't send someone to watch over me. They just hadn't shown themselves yet. They didn't think I knew but I did. It just so happened that this someone had a thing for slinking around in the shadows…

Why it was so important to watch me I didn't know. The rain seemed to follow me lately. Punishing me. It knew I had nowhere to go and it still pounded down on me, down my forehead, down my cheeks, along my neck, making my hair stick, making my clothes tighten, slicked down over my body, tight, wet, uncomfortable, unbearable, and worst of all, inescapable.

There was a clink behind me. The master stalker was losing his touch. His shadow flickered briefly on the wall to my left as he peeked over a tin trashcan.

Without looking behind me I slide my foot into a puddle. It had stopped raining half an hour ago but he evidence was still here with no sunshine to dry it up. Gross. I mentally shuddered at the sheer disgustingness of that wet feeling seeping into my socks. Putting that to the back of my mind I stared into the puddle. I saw a wet cat version of myself. I mean I still looked like me but even in the puddle I could see the physical differences I had undergone from staying on the streets. For one I had dark circles under my normally bright grey eyes, then there was the fact that my shoulders stuck out more then they used to and they curved slightly, call it malnutrition or whatever because the signs were there, my dark hair hung wet over said curved shoulders and you could practically see the bitterness rolling of me in waves.

I shook my head and kicked backwards towards the direction I heard the last sound from my watch boy. The freezing water hit it's mark. I heard a startled yelp and when I turned around to look there was a scrambling sound of someone trying to run off. Oh no you don't, I thought as I ran to catch up.

In this darkness all I could see was the dark silhouette making it's best effort to steal away into the night. I gathered that he was a male from the body shape of the shadow. I knew I didn't want him to get away so, I continued chasing him. When he looked over his shoulder and saw that I was still after him he panicked and tried to speed up. I sped up too. We ran for a good ten minutes through the back roads. He seemed to be under the impression that he could lose me in these back alleys but I knew them as well as he did. Clearly at a loss of what to do he faked left and ran right into a street.

A quick flash of light and a car whipped past him. In an effort to stop and not get hit he fell on his but on the curb. I ran fast in front of him before he could recover. I had him.

The dingy street lamp flickered and out of habit I stared up at it. He took the chance to bolt.

"No please WAIT!" I cried in effort to stop him. He stopped but didn't face me.

I jogged up to him but he turned when I tried to stand face to face with him. I looked at what I could see of him. He had terrible posture. His whole spine was bent and his shoulders were hunched and I briefly wondered if that was painful. I noticed that he was visibly shaking. Was he cold or something? I sighed. Jerk move Jaime. Why don't you just freeze the kid to death?

I stared down in shame and shuffled my feet, "sorry about that." I gestured to his wet hoodie hoping he could see what I was referring to. He had his back to me after all.

"It'sss okaysss."

He had a lisp to his voice. I'd never heard anyone speak with that type of speech impediment. He sounded almost snake-like.

"Why did you run away from me?"

"Yoursss notsss 'apposed to seess messs," he seemed to shudder as if realizing the consequence he would face now that I knew about him.

"I did though…"

"Yesss."

It was bothering me that he wouldn't look at me while we were talking. I inched towards him and tried to discretely angle myself so I could see his face. He noticed and shuffled backwards.

"Could you, you know look at me maybe?" I asked softly eyes shifting to his still curved over form.

"Nossss."

I frowned, "why not?"

Silence.

"Facesss laterss."

"Wha-?"

"Bosss needsiss to seesss messs nowss." He started to walk away.

"No don't go! Why are you watching me?" he kept walking away, "did Ace send you?"

He stiffened up. Bingo. He almost, almost turned towards me. I jogged to catch up to him. The street lamp he walked under illuminated him. Before he could tell what I was doing I ran in front of him and held his shoulders before he could turn away. He jerked back and got out of my grip easily. In his hurry to hide from me again he tripped over a crack in the sidewalk. He landed real hard and I could see his body flinch from the impact. Recovering quickly he covered his face with green hands, just like Ace, and let his long black hair fall over his hands. He was shaking again. I could see his clothes dripping from the water I had splashed him with. Another wave of guilt washed over me. It was obvious he was just following orders and I had broken that rule. Don't shoot the messenger.

I took in the sight of him. He had ratty sneakers and torn up, worn out, dirty jeans. My eyes lifted up and followed the legs, which connected to the long lanky body of a limp haired teenager. He was wearing an oversized black hoodie with the sleeves torn off. Underneath that he wore a baggy grey tee shirt and striped wristbands. His arms were thin and green, just like the rest of him. His lank hair hung over his face and a brown hat sagged over on top his head from the weight of the water. I raised my head and blinked. Why wouldn't he show me his face? I got that he was green. So was Ace. He didn't care. It must be something deeper then that.

I padded over to him and bent down to his level, "I don't care if you're green," I whispered, "I'm blue."

I was speaking metaphorically of course but that didn't mean that my words didn't impact him. He peeked through his fingers. I couldn't help but think he looked like a frightened child.

"It'sss notss that."

I cocked my head curiously.

"What is it then?" Again I felt like I was talking to a child. He mumbled incoherently in response.

"Come again?"

"My name isss sssSnake." I furrowed my eyebrows. What did that have to do with it?

He removed his hands from his face and I understood completely. He literally looked like a snake. His face was thin for starters, just like the rest of him. His cheekbones jutted from his face, which was pointed. His eyes were slanted and his irises were such a dark brown that they almost appeared black. You could see his pupils were slitted- they were black enough to see against the deep brown. I could see the fear in them. He was afraid of what I would think of him. His blackened lips were slightly parted and exposed a set of fangs that unlike Ace, hung only inside his mouth, not out. Those lips were set in what looked like a permanent frown. His green skin was just the icing on the cake.

He didn't want me to see him because he thought he was monstrous and ugly and thought I would think the same. I wasn't perturbed by his appearance though. I found quickly that his scared-child appearance from before had made him far from intimidating or scary. I almost found his snake-like features to be endearing, almost. I wanted to know more. How had he ended up this way?


	3. Chapter 3

For the Sanity Left In Me

~Chapter Three~

Snake shakily stood up. I could tell he was debating whether to run off again or to just stay, I mean the damage had already been done. I saw him. I saw his face. I knew he had been following me. There was no reversing any of that.

He stared at me with a questioning look in his eyes. I shrugged. If he was expecting me to run away from him or something he was wrong. Yes, he was an oddity but who wasn't in that gang? Why was he so afraid of me seeing his face?

I half expected him to say something to me but he just stood and shuffled his feet.

"Will you tell me why you were following me?" He barely seemed to have comprehended what I had said. He was too busy studying me.

I'm not sure what was so interesting about me for him to look at. I pictured myself briefly, dark brown wavy hair, a pale as could be complexion, matching pale pink lips, and nearly oversized grey eyes. I subconsciously rubbed at my cheeks incase anything was on my face.

"You know why." He announced before turning away and starting to walk in the other direction, "see you laterss."

I let him walk away.

You know that feeling you get when you know something bad is going to happen to you if you go somewhere but you go anyway? Well, that's what I'm feeling right now. This morning I decided to go to an outdoor market.

So, here I am. I lazily glanced around. People watching never ceased to be interesting, I mean there's always something funny about people. From the way they walk to the way they talk, people are different. I was just enjoying everything when I heard a loud thump a bit of a ruckus. I heard someone mutter to their friend about a stand being knocked over and some hoodlums being there. The yelling was getting louder --mostly one irritatingly familiar voice yelling over everyone. Ace. They were stealing something in a not very discreet way.

Fully prepared to just turn right around and run I moved away but not before I saw some lady jump up from a table and dart away from the impending scene. She left an unopened sandwich behind. Hunger momentarily deafened my rational side, which was screaming for me to hightail my way out of there, and I stole after the sandwich. Tearing open the paper wrapped around it I tucked into it like I was starved, which I was, and in the bliss of food forgot about the gang. Only to be rudely reminded by a plump squat man knocking into me on his way out. I wanted to scream in frustration when he bumped me because he made me drop my sandwich.

Now, I could clearly see the group slinking their way over here. Panicking I looked from side to side for an escape but the crowd of frightened people blocked my only exits. They kept getting closer and they were bound to spot me soon. My hopeful side tried to assure me that they wouldn't see me in the large crowd but I knew better. This was a crowd of families, moms and dads dragging children along with them, old and young couples alike shopping for produce, and just happy people moving in pairs or small groups. Being by myself I stuck out like a sore thumb.

They were getting so close now that I could here their voices. I dived behind a man in front of me hoping they wouldn't see me. I could feel my safety with the crowd disintegrate as they shuffled to their cars and into cabs. I stood unsure what to do at the entrance of the market. I started to go left but realized I couldn't hear the gang. They must have went the other way. I tip toed my way back in and peeked around. Empty. I decided to grab some abandoned stand's food before the cops showed.

On my way to my alcove I looked down at the food gathered in my arms and my stomach growled. I grabbed a roll and started eating again. Chewing I inspected the street. Some police cars had just rushed by me. I knew I picked the correct direction to go since they went the opposite way.

I had just about made it to my alcove when I heard voices, familiar ones . I spun around looking for the source only to come to the dreaded realization that they were down my little alley. I sighed and started to head the other way when my stubborn side kicked in. This way my turf and they shouldn't be in it without my permission or making me feel like I was the one trespassing. I stomped past them whipping my hands off on my jeans, leaving bread crumbs in my wake.

They were in a circle laughing. I knew I couldn't simply drop my food off in my alcove and come back so I stuffed it in my pack. I came and stood behind Ace. The littlest one noticed me right off the bat. He said something in Spanish and pointed at me to alert Ace.

Stiffening up Ace twisted his head so that he could get a glimpse of who was behind him. If I had been about six inches taller we would have been nose to forehead. A gleeful smile broke out on his face when he saw it was me. He twisted the rest of his body around so that he was facing me. My frown deepened.

"Well, well, well. Lookie who decided to show up." He leaned forward as he said this. His black glasses slid down the bridge of his nose. His eyes sparkled with mischief, "We was lookin' for ya weren't we, boys?" A chorus of yeses rang out through the alley.

I raised an eyebrow, "Me, show up? What did you expect this is my turf after all _Ace_."

He flashed me a grin that was all teeth and tilted his head back, "Hey boys this is Birdy. She's the new member I told you about."

I looked at the other members, all green, all staring at me, every single one of their stares were curious. I returned each gaze. There was the little dark haired guy who saw me first, there was the huge one with orange hair who I met that night way back, there was this extremely ratty kid with dark brown hair, and then there was Snake.

Newest member my ass—I never agreed to it so therefore I'm not involved. Right?

Wrong. I found this out as I was being towed around by Big Billy to my new 'home.' Oh, the joys of being noticed by the town thugs. The first class ride featuring some of the loveliest scenery: Billy's back, the sidewalk, oh and the garbage on the sidewalk.

I let my body hang-- every bump in the sidewalk was the bane of my existence.


End file.
